Solar Power Defeated

An Act to Modernize Maine's Solar Power Policy and Encourage Economic Development (2016)

The governor vetoed a bill enacted by the legislature to expand Maine’s solar capacity ten-fold over five years. LD 1649 included provisions to build community solar projects, update net metering, create solar jobs, and reduce electricity costs for all ratepayers. The Senate considered and rejected an undermining amendment that would have given the Public Utilities Commission the authority to decide net metering policy. The vote on the amendment is scored here. The Senate unanimously enacted LD 1649 (without the harmful amendment) and sent it to the House, where it passed with a 91-56 vote. The governor vetoed the bill and the veto override vote fell short by two votes in the House. The subsequent override vote in the House is scored here. Six representatives refused to vote.

NO is the pro-environment vote in the Senate; YES is the pro-environment vote in the House.